Thanks to flight cancellations, three days chasing butterflies in the Naita and Osaka areas, 21 species seen, including quite a number of swallowtail species and others, including Angled Sunbeam and Japanese Oakblue.

My first visit to Australia, this four-week trip in July-August 2018 focussed on the east coast, encompassing northern Queensland, south-east Queensland and New South Wales. With new birds at every turn, there were no particular avian targets, other than Southern Cassowary, a selection of the bowerbirds and the two lyrebirds. I also had great hopes to find a selection of the iconic Australian mammal fauna, top of the list Koala, Platypus, Echidna and Wombat.

Unprecedented numbers of butterflies flying late into autumn, no less than 12 species in the first half of the month, including good numbers of Pale Clouded Yellows, plus unexpected species such as Wall Brown and late-flying Sooty Coppers and Common Blues. Even in the third week of the month, despite cooler conditions, still a half dozen species flying, very unusual for Lithuania!